A Stunning Display (Part 2)

The conference room buzzed with discussion, curiosity written on every teacher's face.

"Level 20.1."

"He's the second person to reach life level 20 in the assessments so far, right?" one teacher said thoughtfully.

Even among martial arts undergraduates, only a few students had reached life level 20 by the start of their fourth year, let alone those at a junior college.

"Right. There were two at the end-of-third-year assessment, and both were on the first recommended admission list."

"His name's Fang Yu?"

"I found it. His life level was 15.5 at the end-of-third-year assessment." A teacher had already started looking up his previous results. "An increase of nearly five levels in less than two months?"

"That much?"

"He hasn't awakened an Astral Aspect. Is his family rich?"

"Why don't I remember him? I remember every student at the school whose family has assets worth over a hundred million."

"Could it be a breakthrough in technique?"

"Possibly. His technique score was already high before. That's probably it."

"He's in Teacher Yan's class." The teachers discussed it among themselves, all guessing at the reason. Though they were surprised by Fang Yu's sudden improvement, they weren't overly shocked.

After all, they were all Advanced Martial Artists with life levels in the thirties.

Year after year, they had seen tens of thousands of students. Sudden improvements were common in the junior-college-to-undergraduate assessments, and sometimes even exceptionally dazzling martial arts talents emerged.

There had always been more than one late bloomer.

Only Yan Fu still felt a trace of anxiety, along with great anticipation. His body technique has to be at Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety... If he really reached life level 20 in such a short time purely by buying treasures, and hasn't awakened a Void Star Aspect, he might not make the recommended admission list.

Void Star Aspect, martial arts technique, life level... Normally, if one was exceptionally outstanding and the other two were above average, recommended admission was unlikely to be a problem.

But if one was missing, the requirements for the other two would both be extremely high.

This year, no student in Yan Fu's class had yet secured a place through recommended admission.

Time passed.

Under the watchful eyes of the teachers, Fang Yu proceeded through the basic punching-force test, basic speed test, and the others. In particular, the "2,122 kilograms" displayed on the punching-force machine relieved half of Yan Fu's worries.

The earlier machine had tested multiple factors, including qi and blood aura and the biological magnetic field, and mistakes or even cheating were possible.

That was why the punching-force and speed tests had been added.

"The technique test is up."

"Has he reached Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety?" All the teachers were watching closely. It would determine whether Fang Yu could secure a place on the recommended admission list, which affected every one of them.

Soon,

Fang Yu's technique score showed a perfect 120 points, and the maximum punching-force machine displayed 3,866 kilograms.

Discussion broke out in the office again.

"Just as expected! Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety!"

"He's got it!"

"Congratulations, Teacher Yan."

"Congratulations." All the teachers congratulated Yan Fu. As martial arts homeroom teachers, the three most important measures in their performance evaluations that year were the percentage of students at level 15, the percentage whose technique had reached Minute Subtlety, and the number who advanced from junior college to undergraduate study.

"Haha, just luck." Yan Fu was in an excellent mood.

At least the number of his students advancing to undergraduate study wouldn't be zero this year.

In another office on the ninth floor of the building, six figures were also watching the surveillance projection in silence. It showed Fang Yu undergoing the assessment.

At their head was a valiant-looking female teacher in a fitted gray martial arts outfit. She appeared to be about twenty-five.

"Fang Yu?"

"Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety and life level 20. He should get a place through recommended admission," the female teacher said softly. "But he still hasn't awakened a Void Star Aspect. I doubt there's much hope of him awakening one now."

None of the six showed any surprise at Fang Yu's performance. They simply recorded it as usual.

As teachers from Huguang Martial Arts University, they had seen far too many outstanding students.

"Mm."

"The higher the life level, the stronger the spiritual power, and the greater the chance of sensing a dormant Void Star Aspect." A middle-aged teacher who looked to be in his forties nodded. "He's already level 20 and still hasn't awakened one. Either he has no aspect... or his Void Star Aspect is extremely weak, even among Lower Astral Aspects."

"If he could awaken a Void Star Aspect, even a Lower Astral Aspect, he'd be a promising prospect," another teacher said. "He might even have a chance of entering the Earth Institute."

"What a pity."

The other teachers nodded too, feeling rather regretful.

Huguang Martial Arts University had several very special "institutes" that brought together more cultivation resources and better martial arts teachers. Only a select few outstanding students could enter them.

The Earth Institute was one such famous institute.

As its name suggested, the Earth Institute aimed to train Earth Martial Artists.

The tests proceeded quickly, one after another.

Soon,

On the surveillance feed, Fang Yu had reached the final assessment-the practical combat test.

"He should get ninety points."

"His body has reached Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety, so his control over it is extremely high. His combat skills should be quite good." The Huguang Martial Arts University teachers were all very relaxed.

On the first floor, inside an assessment area covering nearly a hundred square meters,

Fang Yu stood fully armored, a saber in his hand.

In the practical combat test, even though the weapons had no sharpened edges, the students had already become martial artists. Any movement could unleash over a thousand kilograms of force, and torn muscles and broken bones could easily result.

Therefore, full-body armor was mandatory for the practical combat test.

"I'm ready," Fang Yu said clearly, watching the robot examiner opposite him. It was almost indistinguishable from a real person and held a saber as well.

The practical combat test

was generally conducted by robots to ensure relative fairness... If a real person served as the examiner, it would be easy to falsify the results.

"Weapon selected: saber."

"Examiner selected: humanoid." The "humanoid martial arts robot" conducting the assessment spoke in a cold voice. "Please prepare for combat."

Fang Yu waited quietly.

Boom!

The humanoid robot moved like lightning, crossing six or seven meters in an instant and charging straight at Fang Yu.

Whoosh! Almost at the same time, the long saber in his hand slashed fiercely at Fang Yu, swift as lightning. If it landed, the blow would carry a terrifying impact.

As expected of an opponent set to the strength of a level 20 martial artist, Fang Yu thought.

This was his first time fighting an opponent at the Intermediate Martial Artist level. The practical combat test mainly assessed technique... so the examiner robot's power output varied according to the student being tested.

Whoosh!

Yet Fang Yu seemed to know what was coming. Like a gust of wind, he took a single step and easily dodged the opponent's heavy, powerful slash.

With a reverse grip, he slashed back.

Boom! Hidden force surged within him and his qi and blood rolled. His burst of strength reached its limit in an instant.

Whoosh!

It was like a bolt of lightning flashing past.

Thud! With a dull impact, the examiner robot flew backward like a stone, traveling seven or eight meters in an instant.

As an Intermediate Martial Artist whose body technique had reached Greater Mastery of Minute Subtlety, Fang Yu's instantaneous burst of strength was fully comparable to that of many level 22 martial artists.

After all, most Intermediate Martial Artists had yet to reach greater mastery in their body technique.

A moment later,

The robot examiner readjusted and charged at Fang Yu again, saber in hand... This time, his speed was even greater, and his saber technique was more agile and varied.

As a combat robot,

Even the most basic model was made of extremely sturdy material, cast from special metal mined on the Primordial Star. Even an Advanced Martial Artist would have to strike it repeatedly to have a chance of destroying its crucial internal components.

Clang!

Clang! Clang! The rapid clash of sabers rang out in the enclosed assessment room, stirring the air with piercing sounds.

Like a gust of wind, Fang Yu continued to dodge the opponent's attacks with ease.

At the same time, Fang Yu unleashed all the strength in his muscles and bones. The saber in his hand was as heavy as a mountain, its blows following one another like great waves, and as unstoppable as rolling boulders. It was the Thousand Mountains Saber Technique Art he had practiced for years.

Once again, he drove the readjusted robot examiner steadily backward.

Your strength is greater than mine.

Your speed is faster than mine.

But your saber technique and movement technique are still only at the peak of the basic level. How could you possibly stop me? Fang Yu's saber strikes were fierce, but his mind was calm. He had anticipated everything before him.

Whoosh!

With one final explosive slash, the robot examiner was sent flying again. This time, he did not get up.

Two seconds later,

"Practical combat test complete. Evaluation: full marks! Junior college perfection!" A mechanical voice sounded in the assessment room.

On the second floor,

The office that had been buzzing with discussion had fallen completely silent. Dozens of martial arts teachers stared in shock at the scene on the surveillance projection.

Fang Yu

had actually defeated the robot examiner outright, even after it unleashed its full strength.

After a long while, discussion finally broke out.

"Full marks in the practical combat test? This...!"

"How is that possible?"

"It's been years since that last happened, hasn't it?"

"I can understand his movement technique reaching Minute Subtlety, but his saber technique... His saber technique has definitely reached the Minute Subtlety level too." Shock filled the martial arts teachers' voices.